We are still undecided on rather he’ll get it or not (for many reasons…like waiting on a report card) but I got to thinking of it’s rating and began to wonder about other parents’ opinions and views.

This particular game is rated M (for mature) due to it’s violence I’m assuming.

Basically, it is a game in which you are the main character and have to use different guns and weapons to destroy the enemies. You are there to save mankind.

I won’t lie…Mel does have Halo and Halo 2 and has beat both games. He completely understands that it is make believe…just like all of the action movies that are out there…and he knows that is not the way to behave in real life.

I know he is a bit young…but he does understand the difference between what a game or movie is and what real life is…

Now, don’t get the wrong impression. We do have limitations on what games we allow the boys to play and what games we purchase for them. But a game like this is no different than a lot of the movies many kids have open access to every day!

I’d like to hear your comments on the rating systems, and what types of games you allow your child(ren) to play and their ages of course. I know of many other children in Mel’s class and age group that play all of these army and war type of games.

Is it really any different than watching the news anymore? (only, YES, that IS real life-and he knows that too!

Amy

One of their friends plays a lot too…and they started connecting their gameboy’s to trade Pokemon’s.

They tend to lose interest in a lot of the games after a few weeks or months even…but they’ve had some of the Pokemon games for a couple of years now and still play them.

Those games follow the cartoon from what I understand…I’m not a huge fan of Pokemon, but I know it was HUGE with kids a few years back.

Apparently it’s still pretty big since they still make new cartoon episodes and they still come out with new game “colors” or versions and other merchandise.

I know that Pokemon is specifically geared towards children so I don’t worry too much about it…as long as they don’t fight over the games! (or trading-one wants to and the other one doesn’t)

Are there any games you constantly see your child pick up….even after a considerable amount of time has passed?

Amy

My boys have a Nintendo Cube, PlayStation 2, XBOX, XBOX 360, game boys and PSP’s. And, yeah, they want a Wii and PS3 (but daddy will probably get that one first!).

Overkill, right? Probably, but when I take into consideration that many of the gaming platforms do offer educational games (more for preschool aged and younger children) as well as other benefits it really isn’t so bad.

I have found that some of the games can be great FAMILY fun…that’s right, I play sometimes too (or I read while they play with dad). And, having more than one platform stops some arguments before they start. (they can take turns and keep on playing that way. )

I have also discovered that video games seem to be a great incentive to my boys. “Clean your room or no games this weekend” or “Stop fighting or I’m taking the Playstation.”

At first, we let them play all the time. Then I noticed their school work and homework weren’t being done to the best of their abilities…especially lil’ Mel.

He absolutely LOVES to play video games. When I take away his gaming privileges, it’s like the end of the world to him. Lamont tends to be more creative and play with whatever he can find, although he does enjoy games as well.

So we made a new rule…they could only play video games (with good behavior and responsibilities met) on weekends (Friday night through Sunday at 8pm) or vacations.

Maybe I’m just a softy but I do sometimes let them bring their handheld games if I have a lot of errands to run or a lot of driving to do-even on school nights.

We have found them playing when they weren’t supposed to though…so we came up with a solution to that as well. All games are surrendered to us Sunday nights. (the controllers for the “plug-in” systems and the cases for the portable ones)

What platform is your child’s favorite? How often do they play? What kind of rules if any do you have or what seems to work best for your household?

Til next time,

Amy

Lamont got a PSP for his tenth birthday in July and lil’ Mel got one in August for his elementary graduation and honor roll accomplishments. They haven’t put them down since!

Ok, maybe they have but I see them quite often playing their little games…when we’re in the car, hanging out downstairs, laying in bed, watching tv…and the list goes on and on.

We have limited their playing time now that school’s back in (to weekends and long drives only) but I must say they have their advantages.

For example, the kids can share games, watch movies, interact with one another as well as other kids in the general area that have the same games.

Ok, I must also admit dad got one for his birthday back in June. The three of them play against each other (that is a down side…we bought three of the same games so they could play each other-but the plus side is they get to play TOGETHER) in the family room while I sit with them and read.

That’s a good time to be had by all. Occasionally I’ll play with them too (if one of them isn’t playing at the moment).

Don’t get me wrong…I still see them playing other games too but this one is definitely working out for everyone in the house right now.

(It’s also a GREAT incentive…clean your room or give me your PSP!)

So if the child in your life has one (even the big ones like dad) what games are their favorites? And do you find the handheld systems to be and advantage or an annoyance?

Til next time,

Amy

1958 – “Tennis for Two” game is created on an oscilloscope by American physicist Willy Hinginbotham.

1962 – Spacewar game is completed and is shown at the annual Science open house at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It’s a game for two. Each person has a joystick to control their spaceship and can shoot at the others spaceship. To make it more interesting the player must avoid the gravitational pull of the central star.

Ralph Baer begins to develop his idea to play games on TV.

1967 – Ralph Baer tests his simple block chase game on a standard TV. Bill Rusch modifies the game to become a paddle and ball game.

1968 – Ralph Baer applies for a patent of his TV game.

1969 – The game is shown to numerous television makers. No one is interested.

1970 – Magnavox agrees to manufacture and distribute Ralph Baers TV game.

Nutting Associates agrees to market Nolan Bushnells Computer Space video game – formerly known as Spacewar. This was actually the first commercial video game – though it wasn’t very popular. Bushnell only made about $500 in royalties.

1972 – Magnavox releases the Odyssey video game system. It includes hockey, tennis and maze games. It cost about $100 US dollars.

Nolan Bushnell and Al Alcorn each invest $250 for their new company “Atari”. Bushnell describes a ping-pong video game to Alcorn whom designs and builds it … And the Atari Pong is born! Pong is the first commercially successful video game.

1973 – The TV version of Pong is released.

1975 – At Atari, an in-house version of the Tank video game is modified so that when a player’s tank is hit and explodes, that player receives an electric shock. The legal department does not allow the version to be released.

Sears sells the Tele-Game Pong video game system made by Atari. People had to stand in lines to pre-purchase these games if they wanted them for Christmas.

1976 – Steve Jobs leaves Atari to found Apple Computer.

A new game is released by Exidy … the objective of the Death Race video game was to run down gremlins. The National Safety Council called it “sick, morbid, and insidious.”

1977 – Atari introduces the Atari 2600 – Video Computer System (VCS). The system cost $190.  Game cartridges were $20. You might think that’s not a bad price … but you have to consider the times. Gas cost 50 cents a gallon. A new home cost about 40 or 50 thousand. Minimum wage was $2.25/hour.

Video Game technology now enables on screen characters to move and interact.

Nintendo releases it’s color TV video game system. You had your choice of six versions of paddle and ball games. Over one million were sold.

1979 – Atari develops Asteroids.
Milton Bradley releases a handheld video game system. Game cartridges included Yahtzee and Hangman.

1980 – Midway Manufacturing releases Pac-Man. (It was put in the Guiness Book of World Records in 2005 for being the most successful coin operated game in history.)

The city of Mesquite, Texas issued an ordinance barring children 17 years and younger from playing video games with out their parents being present. The US Federal Appeals Court ruled that playing arcade video games is an activity protected under the First Amendment.

1981 – Nintendo develops “Donkey Kong” and “Mario”.

Video games are banned in the Philippines because of parent and teacher complaints.

Oakland, California bans minors from arcades during school hours and after 10PM weeknights.

9% of US homes have video game systems – 80% of them are Atari systems.

1982 – Quote by Raymond Kasar, chairman of Atari: “It’s a ridiculous notion that [the video game market] is going to burn out.”.

The first TV commercial for a video game – promoting Sega Enterprise’s Zaxxon.

Sega releases the first video game that uses full motion video clips overlaid with computer graphics.

Atari upgrades to the Atari 5200.

The first video game with a built in vector monitor is introduced by General Consumer Electronics.

1983 – Atari comes out with the “My First Computer” keyboard. It has 8kb ram.

1985 – Nintendo releases “Super Mario Bros”.

1986 – Atari introduces the Atari 7800. The Sega Master System (SMS) and Nintendo NES are released.

1987 – Atari introduces the Atari XE Game System, with 64 kb RAM.
Nintendo now has about 70% of the market share of video games in the US.

1988 – By the end of this year Nintendo had 90% of the market share. Sega had 5%. I guess that means the original system – Atari had less than 5%.

1989 – The first CD based game is released, as well as handheld games like the Nintendo Gameboy and Atari Lynx.

1991 – Nintendo Super NES released. Sega Enterprises debuts the Game Gear portable video game system.

1994 – Sony Playstation released.

1998 – Sega’s Dreamcast video game is released. The console uses Windows CE operating system.

Since the turn of the century Playstation seems to be leading the way above Nintendo. They both offer a lot to their players.

Controversies continue over what type of games are suitable for minors …

More on that subject later.

At first there was the good old fashioned pin ball machine.  Kids would line up at burger joints etc just to play them.

The first video game that we could play at home was “Pong”.  If I’m correct it came out in 1978 or 1979.   You hooked it up to your TV and could be played by one or two players.

Each player had a paddle which was just a line that could be moved up and down.  The ball would go back and forth and it was your duty to knock it back to the other side.  It’s really kind of funny to think of it now.

When I was expecting Amy, I was on disability most of the time.   I wasn’t “on bed rest” but was ordered to take it easy.  I spent hours and hours playing pong.

I remember when Pac-Man first came out.  Amy was just a baby.  Her dad was an avid bowler and we went to the bowling alley at least 3 times a week.  I truly became addicted to the game.

I would play Pac-Man the entire time we were at the bowling alley.  Amy would quietly play in her stroller next to me.  I wanted to get to the end of the game … how many points could a person achieve?  Each week I strived to beat my best score.

It was really kind of funny, but when I went home and went to bed I would actually dream about Pac-Man.  I was truly obsessed.

A few years later Nintendo came out.  It was the latest greatest craze.  I bought one and it came with the Mario Brothers game.  My son Brian became quite good at the game.  Amy also mastered the game pretty quickly.  The two of them would spend hours in the den playing Mario Brothers and other games.

Now 20 years later it’s almost unbelievable how fantastic the graphics are on video games.   There are many games to choose from.  Some are educational and some are just for fun.

In my opinion video games are addicting.  It’s easy to sit there playing them for hours and hours on end.  Constantly trying to beat the last score …

Kids truly enjoy playing video games.  It’s up to the parents to monitor the time and types of games played.

Till next time …
Cindy